 Visually amazing
 The story is top notch
 Online mode, boss duels and cutscene viewers
are excellent
 MSX versions of first two Metal Gears are great
 Improved controllable camera

The Bad

 Limited Edition movie is oddly executed

Grade

A

It seems to have become a standard practice that when a great
game gets released, some time down the line, an improved,
bonus-filled version of the same game is sure to arrive some
time later. I'm sure that Hideo Kojima's release of MGS2:
Substance really established this as a viable practice.
Because of that, we've managed to get wonderful games like
Ninja Gaiden Black and
Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition.
It was just a matter of time until Metal
Gear Solid 3 was going to get the same treatment and producer/creator
Kojima was certainly going to raise the bar for bonus editions.

This prequel managed to refine the series' gameplay to a
point where one had to wonder where else it could go. Of course,
one of the outstanding complaints with the original release
was the camera, which provided more challenge than some of
the enemies. So, when I heard that the in-game camera would
be fixed, I was interested to see what effect it would have.

I won't get into details on the gameplay or story here as
the core of the game has not changed since the original release
of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
If you want details, check out the original
review. Just know that the gameplay is well executed with
a lot of choices given to the player on how they achieve their
goals. Visually, this game pushes the PS2 to its limits and
the audio package is well refined. Honestly, MGS3 is
in a rare category at the top of the quality pile in terms
of games available on the PS2.

The first disc, named Subsistence, comes with the original
Metal Gear Solid 3 game, albeit with some noticeable
revisions, and a nice Demo Theater. While the story and core
gameplay remain unchanged, a newly implemented third person
camera makes it's debut. For those used to fully controllable
cameras in their third person shooter, this is a nice change
which actually puts a different view on the game. While the
original was played with a more fixed, over-the-head view,
your ability to switch between views with the click of the
R3 allows you to really get a fine look at your locations
without having to go into the first person mode. While the
new camera isn't completely perfect (this shows up when you're
sneaking in tight places) its a nice improvement that's long
overdue. Also new to MGS3 is new Camouflage and Face
Paint, most of which seem nice for show rather than being
more useful. Really, how useful is painting the American flag
on your face in terms for stealth purposes? Finally, this
version of MGS3 features the European Extreme difficulty
for those who really want a hard challenge. And, man does
that really offer a challenge.

The Demo Theater available on disc one is a nice feature
that allows you to view in-game cutscenes, even without having
played the game. Also, there are unlockable extra scenes and
you can even change the way Snake looks in the scenes from
the menu. If you get the Limited Edition with the bonus DVD,
this might not be as much of a perk, but it's still a pleasant
addition for those wanting complete access.

The second disc, Persistence, is where fans of the original
release are going to get their money's worth. First is the
Duel Mode, where you can play out the many boss fights either
regularly or with special limitations to make it harder. Because
the boss fights in the original game were so great, players
may want to break this out on occasion just to fight the bosses
at the leisure. The Snake vs. Monkey mode returns, including
new stages which make this odd collaboration between Metal
Gear Solid and Ape Escape oddly fun and addicting.
There's also a Secret Theater which features game engine rendered
joke cutscenes that were available only on the website before
now.

Also available on the second disc are ports of the original
MSX Metal Gear games: Metal Gear and Metal
Gear 2: Solid Snake. This is a wonderful treat for those
who started the series with the original Metal Gear Solid,
especially considering that MG2 never saw the light
of day in North America. The original Metal Gear is
interesting in that it feels a lot like a maze with stealth
elements. There are familiar Metal Gear touches to
the game, but the narrative and mood are simply secondary
to the maze-like aspect of the gameplay. Visually, the game
lacks depth and the audio is a bit annoying. In comparison,
Metal Gear 2 is light-years ahead and really shows
the series maturing in presentation. The visuals, audio and
all-around implementation of the gameplay in MG2 is
better and more enjoyable.

One can not talk about the second disc without mentioning
the online mode, which is what I would call an "about time"
addition. While the Deathmatch modes (team and solo) are good
brainless fun, the real fun is to be had in the modes that
are certainly tooled for MGS's style of gameplay. Sneaking,
Capture and Rescue modes all present elements that make the
player really do some thinking before acting. In this mode,
there are locations built specifically to make the best of
multiplayer action, all of which look great.

For those who picked up the Limited Edition, they get the
third disc, Existence, which features the cutscenes from the
game reedited into a three-plus hour long movie for those
who just want to watch the story play out. While this is a
really cool idea, it's execution is not so great. Switching
from cutscenes to gameplay footage and back is a bit distracting
and the addition of a narrator to fill in story gaps is a
bit disappointing. Still, it's a unique watch, but don't expect
it to completely wow people new to the story. As an added
bonus, the trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4 is on this
disc as well.

So, should you buy this game? If you didn't get the original
or couldn't play it because of the camera - Yes. I can't say
that loud enough. This is the best offering of gameplay, extras
and multiplayer that has come out in some time. If you're
a hardcore Metal Gear Solid fan, this is certainly
worth the investment. In fact, I'd suggest this game to just
about anyone who enjoys games as this really is hard to beat
in terms of quality.

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